


One Rose is Enough for the Dawn

by EthelPhantom



Series: As Its Thorns And Petals [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (I think??? It's at least not sad!), Alternate Universe - Rose Souls, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Happy Ending, Jason Todd Has Nightmares, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Sweetheart, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23214205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthelPhantom/pseuds/EthelPhantom
Summary: Maribat March 2020, day 19: Nightmares“Is there a reason that goes deeper than insomnia that has you unable to sleep?” Marinette asked one day — or should she say, night, it was nearing 1 am — as they were just relaxing, one of them reading a book and the other trying to design something.Marinette had been resting her head against Jason’s shoulder while he read, so it was easy to feel him still at her words. Even after his reply of ‘no’, his movements were stiff and Jason himself was tense. A quick glance at the Rose in the vase next to her own told her a lot as it looked drier than usually, drier than it should look like. There was definitely something bothering Jason a lot. She put her sketchbook away and turned around to be able to see Jason and his face.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jason Todd
Series: As Its Thorns And Petals [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1572100
Comments: 12
Kudos: 201
Collections: Maribat March





	One Rose is Enough for the Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look it's happier than the last two. No, seriously, it is. At least it's like, not as sad or painful and no one loses another person. 
> 
> This is a continuation to my Jasonette Rose Souls universe, happens before Jay reunites with B but way after Jason and Marinette met. Also before they started even dating bc while that is in the tags, someone might've ignored it and yeah.

“Is there a reason that goes deeper than insomnia that has you unable to sleep?” Marinette asked one day — or should she say, night, it was nearing 1 am — as they were just relaxing, one of them reading a book and the other trying to design something. 

Marinette had been resting her head against Jason’s shoulder while he read, so it was easy to feel him still at her words. Even after his reply of ‘no’, his movements were stiff and Jason himself was tense. A quick glance at the Rose in the vase next to her own told her a lot as it looked drier than usually, drier than it should look like. There was definitely something bothering Jason _a lot._ She put her sketchbook away and turned around to be able to see Jason and his face. 

“What is it? It can’t be nothing as if it was, you wouldn’t act like this. Your Rose wouldn’t look like that. I want to help, please tell me,” she said and took the book out of Jason’s hands. Marinette placed her hand on Jason’s thigh and stroked it silently with her thumb. She tried her best to show Jason she was there for him, that she was listening.

Jason sighed and muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like “fucking traitor, that Rose”, but Marinette just ignored it and focused on Jason and his movements. He cast his eyes to the floor and the fluffy carpet they had bought on a whim a few weeks earlier, looking at it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “It’s just— you know, nightmares. Nothing more than that.”

“What are they about? It doesn’t seem like they’re just your regular nightmares. You don’t have to tell me, but I think it could help you to share, and maybe I could think of something I could do to help, to make it better?”

That gained her a small, tired smile. “You remember how I got murdered by that damn clown, right?”

“I couldn’t forget even if I tried, Jace. I don’t think forgetting at this point is even possible.”

Jason laughed, and Marinette counted that as a win, as bitter and humourless as it had been. It was still better than nothing. “Yeah, they’re about that. About how I was alone when the clown decided to beat me up and fucking blow me up. And no one came for me, no one was there to save me. No one even tried to save me. And then they’re about waking up in the fucking coffin in the rather uncomfortable suit that was still in pristine condition, probably thanks to Alf. About how I was alone. No one came for me then either, and no one realised I could be alive. I dug my way out there, I clawed at the coffin. And I was so confused and couldn’t find anyone I trusted. Well, I’m not sure I trusted anyone. By the time I got to my senses a little bit, there was already a new birdy, my replacement, following  _ him _ and listening to every single one of his orders. I wasn’t needed, and I wasn’t missed.”

Marinette bit her lip. This wasn’t what she had been expecting, but it didn’t actually surprise her. The most surprising part about any of this was finding out so much about him at once. Jason didn’t like to open the case a lot, he had mostly only off-handedly mention the case. From the very beginning, the fact that he’d died hadn’t surprised her at all, really — she had experienced the same. 

It only seemed he wasn't yet aware that as a Rose Soul, that wasn't going to be the last time he had to face and experience dying.

She had no idea how to tell him, not now, if ever.

After all, most Rose Souls died more than once, and nearly always came back. It was practically impossible to kill a Rose Soul without them agreeing with it, not permanently, and that was what had confused her about his family. Why didn’t they give him a phone, or other means of communication when they put him in the grave? They should have. The only ways to kill them were to either destroy and dispose of their Soul Rose completely and thoroughly or to have them agree to the death — there was a reason most Rose Souls died because they killed themselves.

Then she’d found out he hadn’t told them about the Rose, and he hadn’t known about the whole “no dying for you unless you fully consent to it” part at all. He still didn't. It had been his first death. The little 15-year-old him had thankfully only resigned to his death and accepted it at some point, instead of wanting it at any point. There was a difference. He’d also, thankfully, managed to hide and secure his Rose well enough for no one to be able to find it, and it hadn’t gotten destroyed. 

“I’m glad you told me, Jason. I can’t really help you with your nightmares themselves, but… Do you think it would help if you knew you weren’t alone? I’ve found that ever since the previous Ladybugs started talking to me, and ever since the kwamii decided I shouldn’t be left alone for even a moment, it made dealing with trauma easier. Trauma such as, I don’t know, getting my throat slit or someone whacking a chair at my head or watching as someone drove over me with a truck. You know,” she said, shrugging as those none of what she mentioned had been a big deal. 

Well, at this point, they kind of weren’t. She was still here, wasn't she? Marinette had learnt how to deal with the pain and the trauma, and like said, the kwamii and the Ladybugs of previous generations liked to help. 

Jason went quiet as he thought about it. It took him a while (yes, fifteen entire minutes counted as only a while in her books), but finally, he came to a decision. “It could. You got any ideas as to how we got that to work?” It seemed he either hadn't realised what she had said about the dying parts or he had simply decided to ignore those for now (which was, knowing Jason, more likely). She was sure they would have to have that conversation one day as well.

Marinette smiled. “Yes. I thought that maybe when you went to sleep, I could stay up and just, be there. Reading a book or going through my social media feeds or designing, but I’d be there and stay awake regardless. Then, whenever you woke up, you could find me near, and it would remind you that you aren’t alone. I can also ask the kwamii if some of them would like to do that for you, but finding a human person that’s significantly over a metre tall might prove somewhat easier than trying to find a kwami of ten centimetres, especially if you’re in a panic and it’s the middle of the night,” she said, her smile never once leaving her face. “I just want to do what’s best for you.”

“You— you would do that? For me?”

“Yes. I would do it for you.”

The  _ I would do **anything** for you if you just asked for it _ was left unsaid. It was better to not say it — Jason was still recovering, and right now, it seemed that what he needed was a friend and his roommate, not someone who was slowly falling for him. She would tell him one day. That day wasn’t now. It wasn’t going to be ‘now’ for a long time still. But one day. 

Jason gave her a smile back. 

“Well, do you want to test it now? You haven’t slept enough in a long time.”

“You haven’t either—”

“I am technically also a little older than you if we count the years I’ve spent dead. Besides, I will survive a few more hours up, and I’m the one who offered. It’s okay.”

“Spent dead? Marinette, what are you talking about?”

“Uh... Let's talk about that in the morning or some other time, shall we? It's okay. I'm here now.”

It took her a little bit more of persuasion before she got Jason convinced it really was alright, but she succeeded anyway. That was the most important part.

“Just sleep, Jay. I’ll still be here when you wake up. You’re not alone,” she told him once he had settled into bed. “If you look like you’re having nightmares, do you want to be wakened up?” At Jason’s nod, Marinette just replied, “alright. Now go to sleep.”

That night, Marinette got to wake Jason up thrice, got punched in the face once, never mentioned this to him until in the morning when she couldn’t really hide it from him anymore (after all, Jason's punches were rather painful and accurate, and there was a bruise forming on her face — Jason felt so horrible about that and spent the morning trying to make it up to her), and she stayed near him the entire time, there every single time he woke up. 

That night, Jason slept better than he had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Also, yes, I'm totally using this month as a way to add more works to my ongoing series. Always. There are still at least two more works that belong to specific series coming, though I'm not gonna tell you which. 
> 
> Also, yeah. Rose Souls are basically immortal. Like, they don't die because of illnesses or old age or anything like that, so technically they don't really age either. A little, and enough to be counted as adults at some point, and enough so people don't attack them for being 'unnatural' as children, but well. 
> 
> You can also find me on my [tumblr](https://ethelphantom.tumblr.com/) if you want to scream at me about DC, Maribat or Code Geass!


End file.
